Fall For Lean Legs... My Training Secret

           

Fall is prime time to flaunt your lean legs in the hottest stretch pants. But what is the best way to train for lean legs... high reps, low weight? High weight, low reps? Here is my (Juliane) number one secret to lean legs like a dancer.

You MUST do a combination of both types of training including heavy weights and low reps and low weight and high reps. I found this is most effective because you need to build that muscle, but still burn the fat surrounding the muscle so you can see the definition. Ladies... DO NOT be afraid to lift heavy weights with your legs... body weight squats will NOT give you muscles, but they will condition your legs and boost that metabolic rate. You can combine the two styles of training in one workout per week, or separate them on different days. So on Monday, you might do a heavy leg day then on Thursday do lighter weight and higher reps with plyometrics to really get that heart rate up and in fat burning mode. You can also add finishers and drop sets to a heavy leg workout which we have discussed in previous posts. Below is an example of a good finisher or an exercise for a light leg day.

This exercise will activate your core, abductors, hamstrings, and glutes. Using a heavy resistance band (blue, gray, or black) wrap the band around your arches and lift legs a few inches off the ground. Hold the band back with your hands...

Push through your heels to straighten your legs...

Then open your legs to the sides to hit the abductors and glutes...  keep repeating for about 30 reps or until failure.

For more secrets to lean leg training get a personalized plan on our website http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

 

You can also try out my Barre Fusion class on Fridays at 5:30pm at the Dance Dynamix Studio in Lititz, PA.

Saturday Shred Secret

On this Saturday we are starting a weekly blog theme called "Saturday Shred Secret." Every Saturday we will try to share one of our secrets to getting lean and shredded just for our awesome readers!

Today's secret is FASTED CARDIO. This is NOT for beginners, and only to be done early in the morning after about 8 or 10 hours of fasting. We don't reccomend fasting any longer than 10 hours. The cardio can be steady state or HIIT if your up for a challenge, on any machine of your choice. We've given some good examples of HIIT training in previous blog posts. We recommend taking some BCAAs first. This is so you can preserve your lean muscle. Because remember, muscle burns fat! We've written about our favorite BCAAs in previous posts. Then, make sure you get food in your system immediately after your session is complete. The cardio should NEVER last longer than an hour. After an hour, your stress response starts kicking in and your body won't be working to your advantage. Some people find they have more energy with fasted cardio, but some will feel sluggish and faint. So test this Saturday Shred Secret out cautiously. The idea behind fasted cardio is that your body will burn stored fat for fuel instead of using the carbs you feed into your system. You shouldn't do this everyday, but its good when leading up to an important event where you want to look leaner than normal.

For questions or online training and nutrition plans visit  our website http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

Weekend Willpower

Cheers to the freakin' weekend!... a time most of you spend at social outings and possibly slacking from the gym and your healthy nutrition plan. Well, here are our top tips to keep the momentum going with your goals. Because after five days of hard work, you shouldn't let two days ruin it.

1. Stick to your weekday sleep schedule... if you sleep in a few hours later than normal on the weekends, your internal clock has a really hard time adjusting when Sunday night rolls around. Make sure you are getting at least 6 hours of sleep on the weeknights so you don't feel the need to "catch up" on the weekends.

2. Plan when you will have your treat meal and don't let it last the whole weekend. If you have a planned night out with friends, go ahead and enjoy yourself...for that meal... don't let the treats continue for 48 hours. Use those "treat" meals for food instead of alcohol. At least the food will restore your glycogen whereas the alcohol will just deplete your system and make you feel worse the next day.

3. Make a friend or family outing into some extra exercise...hit up the pumpkin patch, and race to the biggest pumpkin. Then challenge each other to deadlift a few of the heavy ones!

4.Take two hours to prep your food for the week. If you did slide off the nutrition plan a bit during the weekend, take Sunday night to prep some healthy meals for the week and start fresh on Monday.

5. If you do plan to indulge on some sweets, do a workout that uses the largest muscles... which burns the most calories. Think legs day with lots of squats, or a back attack with all kinds of pull-ups. And if you're traveling... that's no excuse. Pack a resistance band in that bag and you can still get an awesome leg or back workout for a metabolic booster. Check out some earlier posts for an awesome resistance band routine!

On a final note... if anyone judges you for wanting to stick to your healthy lifestyle on the weekend just say this...

              

It's ok to live it up a little, but these quick tips will keep you on your fit life journey. For online training and nutrition plans visit our website at http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/